


BTHB - Lets have a sad ol' time

by Harke



Category: Fallen Hero Series - Malin Rydén
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-07-02
Packaged: 2020-06-02 09:44:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19438885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Harke/pseuds/Harke
Summary: Bad Things Happen Bingo, with sidestep and all their wacky friends and enemies.These are my drappels, enjoy(tags and rating will be updated as we go)





	1. Recovery

**Author's Note:**

> The first of who knows how many but here we go.  
> Sidestep here is Morgan Bui, they are nonbinary, they like dogs and also they are an absolute mess.

There are few reprieves from the tight knot in Morgans stomach. It seems to eat away at their confidence and control at every waking moment. Hell, even when they allow themself to sleep in their own body for once. 

There are few reprieves, but there are some. 

Chen can't know what troubles them, can't imagine the kind of shit they’re in, but sometimes it seems like he understands. The way his smile curves with a bitter thread of shared experience. The way he never asks but still seem to be able to predict Morgans reactions. It should trouble them, shit, it should make them run far away.

Instead it makes a their mind calm as the ocean on a quiet day, knowing that he can predict them. When the time comes, when they cross the line… he will be there and he will stop them. 

Not because Chen is cold or unfeeling, but because he understands. Sometimes you need someone else to stop you, when you yourself can’t.  
It isn't fair to him. He shouldn't have to do this, but he is the only one they can trust to see it through. 

Spoon breaks them out of their dark thoughts with a wet kiss and Morgan suddenly realizes the wetness that has been gathering in the corners of their eyes. 

He will need more than spoon if they cant stop themself, they think and immediately pushes that thought far, far away. No running away now. Steel is here and he’d wonder if they ran away, after asking him to come here.

Forcing out a laugh they lean into spoons enthusiastic greeting which seems only slightly more subdued after Chen’s admonishments of the eager greyhound.

“You look serious, Morgan,” he hums as he takes a seat on the bench beside them. Its still odd to them hear him use their name, even after this routine the two of them have build up. He probably thinks the same, but as always he never reveals much on his face and reading his mind would be crossing a carefully placed line of morgans own creation.

“Just a lack of sleep, Chen. Can’t blame a poor working grunt for being tired. What's your excuse?” Weak jokes and jabs will only get them so far, but rather than, than the kind of ernest conversation lurking in steels statement.  
Frowning he leans back on the bench, “Just got a lot of paperwork lately, it adds ten years.” Raising an eyebrow Morgan finds themself amused with his calm retort, deadpan in its delivery but still joke-adjacent. 

“Oh thats the paperworks fault now, huh?” As they had hoped, Spoon and Chen's company drives the worst of the dark thoughts away.  
“What are you implying, Bui?”  
“I'm just saying it could just be lack of smiling. You ever heard that thing about frowning too much and your face will stay like that?”  
Its something Julia used to say when they talked about Chen- no, when they talked about Steel. Chen smiles, they have seen it a few times.  
He isn't smiling now, rather he huffs and raise an eyebrow back at them. In spite of that they can feel amusement prickling at the edge of his mind. 

Yes, this was just what they needed.


	2. A message

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> well i did intend for this to be BTHB but i guess rules are more like guidelines huh
> 
> In this Mutiny attempts to figure out how to deal with heroes

Standing over the hero, Mutiny was about to put them under with a swift kick to the face before they thought better of it. No, this was an opportunity. This little grunt could still serve a purpose, no matter their lacking fighting form. Their rattling breathing jumped as Mutiny reached down and grabbed the hero by the scruff, hauling them up off the ground. 

For a moment they watched and considered, observing as the hero became more and more erratic, only able to see themself reflected in the blank helmet of mutiny. With a detached kind of interest they noted how similar their own reaction would have been back in the sidestep days. But those days were over now, and maybe this would make the hero in their grasp reconsider the path they were on. 

By far the most heroes met unfortunate or crippling ends, in part because of people like Mutiny. People like themself.

That realization had no emotional impact in the moment. A part of them knew it would hit Morgan later, but right now they were Mutiny and Mutiny has no such concerns. 

The hero had been talking almost constantly since they were picked up, interspersed with only brief breaks, ostensibly to another of those rasping breath that suggested that something may be broken or severely bruised in their chest. If they remembered right this was Waverider, likely a reference to the way they were able to glide for short distances, but it didn't really matter and of course Mutiny had not been listening. 

They shake the young hero once, the threads of the abused suit threatening to give way under their armored gloves. That made Waverider shut up, fear oozing through their mind once again. “Finally, some peace and quiet,” they say though it comes out as a growl thanks to the voice modulator installed in the helmet. “You will be glad to know that you can be of further use to me, Waveraider-”  
“Waverider, it’s Waverider,” a cracked small voice pipes up and by the way they tense in Mutiny's glove it's clear that the hero immediately regrets the correction.  
“Waverider,” Mutiny says slowly, knowing very well that it is far more disconcerting if they don't react outwardly aggressively. 

Instead they lift the hand with the nanovores and Waverider, unable to escape their grasp in time, is slowly unmasked as the hungry little critters devour the only thing protecting the heroes identity. A new kind of panic infect every part of the young hero, a panic both morgan and mutiny knows well. It's a kind of panic that will lead people to do desperate things so Mutiny knows that this is the end of the line. With a low chuckle, warped and distorted by the helmet, Mutiny snuffs out Waveriders consciousness without even moving a hand.

Only when they are sure the hero is out cold do they allow themself to let out a deep sigh. This got more involved than they were planning, but since their plans were already disrupted Mutiny will make this work. The little waverider can deliver a message to the rangers for them. 

Dropping them to the ground, Morgan makes sure to let their eyes glide off the hero's face. Its enough that Waverider thinks they would be able to find them, they don't have to actually memorize the face. Somehow, though Mutiny have far crossed the line, looking seems a step too far. It's that sentimentality again. Morgan remembers being the hero, though Mutiny doesn't want to. 

Its early, early morning when the unconscious waverider is rescued from the side of the rangers building by the always-heroic Herald. The marshall kneels down beside the unmasked hero and retrieves the note taped to their suit. 

“If you want to be ready for what’s coming, you will have to do better. 

They are keeping you in the dark. Don’t trust them.”


End file.
